How to foster a more innovative culture at city hall: report

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has a new guide for mayors, city managers and other local leaders to help them understand their organizational culture and assess whether it's inhibiting real change.

By Cailin Crowe • April 4, 2022

Mayors concerned about racial wealth gap, but no consensus on solutions: survey

The 2021 Menino Survey of Mayors found respondents are divided on the issue by political party and city size. Nearly all of those worried about the gap support solutions in general terms, but fewer favor specific efforts like reparations. 

By Danielle McLean • March 31, 2022

7 in 10 drivers use a mobile device behind the wheel: survey

The findings come as distracted driving incidents have killed a greater share of pedestrians and cyclists in the last decade.

By Dan Zukowski • March 31, 2022

IDC names 17 winners for its 2022 North America Smart City Awards

From Schenectady, New York, to Santa Ana, California, the group recognized smart city accomplishments across 14 categories for its fifth annual awards.

By Cailin Crowe • March 30, 2022

Biden calls for greater Amtrak, public transportation funds

The proposed budget includes $142 billion for the U.S. Department of Transportation, with $3 billion carved out for Amtrak and $13.6 billion for public transportation.

By Dan Zukowski • March 29, 2022

Affordable housing funding would expand in Biden's FY23 budget

With no path forward for housing provisions of last year's Build Back Better plan, the administration calls for $50 billion to increase the U.S. affordable housing supply and expand the federal Housing Choice Voucher program.

By Danielle McLean • March 29, 2022

Cities grapple with expected revenue declines as fewer workers commute downtown

Fewer commuting workers can mean less tax and fee revenue for cities. To address the shortfall, cities can turn to new revenue streams or budget cuts — or they can make their downtowns more appealing.

By Karen Kroll • March 28, 2022

Los Angeles moves forward with diverting some 911 calls to mental health professionals

The program is one of many alternative policing models cities have implemented since 2020's nationwide racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd.

By Austyn Gaffney • March 24, 2022

Habitat for Humanity receives $436M donation to address global housing crisis

But housing experts say the large donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and new advancements in home construction technology will not alone make housing affordable to families in U.S. cities.

By Danielle McLean • March 23, 2022

DC attorney general sues Grubhub over hidden fees

The complaint alleges Grubhub offered delivery from over 1,000 Washington, D.C., restaurants without their consent, but Grubhub denies violating local laws.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 22, 2022

SXSW 2022: Smart Cities Dive's coverage from Austin, Texas

At the SXSW conference this month — its first in-person event since 2019 — speakers dove into a range of issues affecting the future of cities and potential solutions to improve the quality of life for all.

March 21, 2022

Women mayors at SXSW address ongoing sexism in city politics

The mayors of Phoenix and Fort Worth, Texas, recounted the hurdles they have faced because of their gender during a panel at the conference in Austin, Texas.

By Danielle McLean • March 18, 2022

Denver turns to 'safe parking' program as homelessness strategy

Colorado's capital city will use American Rescue Plan dollars for a program supporting people who are living in personal vehicles as it seeks to reduce unsheltered homelessness by 50% between 2022 and 2026.

By Jason Plautz • March 16, 2022

Before the war, Ukraine was working to become the IT hub of Europe

Over the past two years, Ukraine digitized many of its government services and turned its focus toward attracting global tech leaders. The work will continue after the war, a Ukrainian official said at the conference.

By Danielle McLean • March 15, 2022

Congress and White House open the flow of public transportation funds

Passage of the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package releases funds under the bipartisan infrastructure law, while federal transit awards unlock hundreds of millions to support operations from New York City to San Francisco. 

By Dan Zukowski • March 15, 2022

Biden touts direct municipal aid in ARPA, infrastructure law at NLC conference

Administration officials on Monday urged the implementation of funds for transportation, public health and other critical needs. City leaders discussed challenges with accessing grants and the need for more proactive spending.

By Maria Rachal • March 15, 2022

Providence pursues next steps toward reparations

Rhode Island’s capital is considering reparation payments, a process the mayor said, "brings us another step closer to addressing the disparities our African heritage and Indigenous residents continue to face."

By Austyn Gaffney • March 11, 2022

As US homeownership surges, Black families still left behind

The homeownership rate jumped a record 1.3% in 2020, the National Association of Realtors reports. But racial disparities persist, "and only race-conscious remedies can fix that,” a National Fair Housing Alliance official said.

By Danielle McLean • March 10, 2022

5 key ways cities have spent pandemic relief funds: NLC

As the world marks the pandemic's second anniversary, the National League of Cities shares updated data on how 800 cities have allocated and spent the historic influx of federal relief funds.

By Cailin Crowe • March 10, 2022

Atlanta embraces tactical urbanism in Vision Zero initiative

As the city looks for top-down changes to eliminate traffic deaths, officials are encouraging temporary and low-cost solutions driven by neighborhood residents. 

By Jason Plautz • March 9, 2022

Federal Highway Administration advances Complete Streets program

In the face of rising traffic deaths among pedestrians and bicyclists, Complete Streets will be the "default funding" for most roadways.

By Dan Zukowski • March 8, 2022

The latest front for smart city tech? Rat control

Somerville, Massachusetts, is piloting new rodent control technology. “We wanted to look into ways we could automate the system, collect more data and target our efforts a little more efficiently," the city's "rat czar" said.

By Cailin Crowe • March 8, 2022

Fullerton, California, to fund smart city projects with energy savings

The $8.4 million energy efficiency project is expected to save the city $12.1 million and support the implementation of technology like LED streetlights. 

By Cailin Crowe • March 7, 2022

Citizens want authentic engagement opportunities, not just notifications

It's up to governments to build digital on-ramps to help citizens overcome community engagement barriers. With modern solutions and professional support, digital engagement can become an everyday event for any community.

By Andrea Facini • March 7, 2022

DC cash payment program improved mental health, food security: report

The effort distributed $5,500 in direct cash payments to nearly 600 low-income D.C. residents. It highlights the benefits of unrestricted cash payment or guaranteed income programs, an Urban Institute report concluded. 

By Danielle McLean • Feb. 28, 2022